Check out below some great deals on Frederic’s health products.
These offers/prices can change at any time, so do not delay!

Is Acid Wreaking Your Teeth? by Frederic Patenaude

There’s a threat to the health of your teeth that you may not recognize.

It’s called acidity.

Our saliva is naturally alkaline and prevents enamel erosion by supplying minerals to the teeth in between meals.

However, when the saliva becomes more acidic, more bacteria thrive and produce more acids, which eats away at our enamel.

But another more common threat is the onslaught of acid from the foods we eat.

A little acidity is good — our bodies can deal with it and restore alkaline balance after a meal. But when our enamel is already weak, and we start feeling the effects (sensitive teeth, cavities, etc.), we must give our teeth a break from all this acid!

Another problem is that we expose our teeth to acids more than ever before.

We drink healthy juices, or smoothies, which are often made with acidic fruits like apples, lemons or citrus.
We drink apple cider vinegar, hibiscus tea or lemon water.
We squeeze lime juice all over our food or use balsamic vinegar in an attempt to use less salt or improve flavor.
We drink wine, coffee, and other highly acidic beverages.
Acid is everywhere!

If you’ve been experiencing problems with your teeth, it may be time to give yourself a break from this acid onslaught.

It may be a chance to go on an acid-free diet! Not forever, but to give your teeth enough time to build back some enamel and get strong again.

Here are some foods to avoid during this “acid-free diet.”

Balsamic and all vinegar
Lemon, lime juice
Citrus
Many other fruits: berries, apples, mangoes, grapes, etc.
Coffee, wine
Pickles and fermented vegetables
Tomatoes and tomato products
Soda
I’m not saying that all of the acid-containing foods I just mentioned are unhealthy. Many are super healthy! But, when you want to rebuild your enamel, it’s essential to minimize or avoid these foods for a while.

It’s important to understand that a food item can be acidic (contain acids) but be alkaline-forming after digestion, while other food items can be alkaline or neutral, but become acidic after digestion. This is due to the mineral balance in the food and the presence of acid-forming amino acids. That is why most acidic fruits are alkaline-forming while most animal products are acid forming. Grains are slightly acid forming.

Of course, we’re talking about the contact of acid with your teeth, which is different. Ideally, you would want to eat a predominantly alkaline-forming diet that’s also low in acids.

The Acid-Free Diet Is Not Enough

The acid-free diet will help give your teeth a break and enable the rebuilding of enamel. However, you also need to ensure that you’re doing everything you can to turn actively around your dental health for the better.

The only way to prevent dental decay for life and reverse a bad situation is to take active control of your oral environment. Just eating less acid alone does not guarantee you’ll become cavity-proof.

Find out the exact method that I use to reverse and prevent dental problems, make sure to get the new edition of our program “How to Heal and Prevent Dental Disasters.”

In it, you will discover:

• How to care for your teeth (forget the TV commercials!)
• What you can do for your teeth if you already have decay above or below the gumline, pain, bleeding or loose teeth…
• Why the dental industry on purpose wants you to come back for more visits with new problems to “fix” every time.
• What to do if you lose a filling, chip or lose a tooth, etc.
• And much more

The only way to prevent dental decay for life and reverse a bad situation is to take active control of your oral environment. Just eating less sugar does not address the root of the problem (although there are important nutritional steps you can take to make your teeth cavity-proof).

If you’d like to find out the exact method that I use to reverse and prevent dental problems, make sure to get the new edition of the program “How to Heal and Prevent Dental Disasters.”

In it, you will discover:

What you can do for your teeth if you already have decay above or below the gumline, pain, bleeding or loose teeth…

Why the dental industry on purpose wants you to come back for more visits with new problems to “fix” every time.

What to do if you lose a filling, chip or lose a tooth, etc.
And much more. Go to:

————————————
The program ”One Year of Raw Foods” features complete menu planners for every day of the year, and more resources to make this diet work.

This program features exactly what to eat, day by day, based on seasonal ingredients (no mangoes in January!), and a complete shopping list to help with your errands.

Check it out here as it is a great offer with lots of free extras!http://www.1shoppingcart.com/app/?Clk=4900803
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I want to let you know that Frederic’s book, “How to Eat Well for Under $100 a Month on a Plant-Based Diet” with the companion book is available now for $29.95 instead of the usual price of $47.

These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. All Rights Reserved. Advice and recommendations given in this website or in personal consultation by phone, email, in-person, online coaching, or otherwise, is at the reader’s sole discretion and risk. You should see a qualified, licensed doctor before starting any skin care, nutritional, diet, stretching, and/or exercise program. Information presented on this website is not to be interpreted as kind of attempt to prescribe or practice medicine. These statements and information have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. No product offerings are intended to treat, diagnose, cure or prevent any disease. You should always consult with a competent, fully-informed medical professional or health practitioner when making decisions having to do with your health. You are advised to investigate and educate yourself about any health related actions and choices you make.

Check out the great deals below on products from Frederic.
The special offers are subject to change at any time.

Why No Oil? by Frederic Patenaude

One of the most common questions that I get is: why don’t you recommend oil?
What about coconut oil? Or extra-virgin olive oil? Or flax seed oil?

Why I Don’t Recommend Any Oil, Including Olive or Coconut Oil

I follow the lead of excellent doctors and researchers such as Dr. Esselstyn, McDougall, Barnard, Campbell, Klaper, Goldhammer (and many others) in my stance against oil.

I don’t use any oil, including olive or coconut — and never eat any except in circumstances where I’m not in full control of the food that I’m eating.

Once you’ve experienced going oil-free, you don’t want to go back. The benefits of eliminating oil from the diet are numerous, and you will feel many of them immediately.

You’ll have more energy. Oil is 100% pure fat with no protein or carbohydrate, and very few other nutrients. Fat is twice as concentrated in calories as carbohydrates, containing nine calories per gram vs. four for carbohydrates. You’ll have more energy eliminating oil because you eliminate a concentrated source of calories. You will replace those calories with foods that give more energy, such as fruit, healthy starches, vegetables, and whole nuts and seeds or avocados.

Your digestion will improve. Oil makes digestion sluggish. Liquid fat takes a lot more time to digest than carbohydrates. On an oil-free diet, your digestion will be excellent! You will never feel too full or experience discomfort after a meal, even if it is big.

You’ll lose body fat. You might think that eating so many carbohydrates makes you fat. But in reality, it’s the combination of carbohydrates and fat that promotes fat gain. Carbohydrates are burned as energy whereas fat can be stored directly as body fat. If one consumes both carbohydrates and fat in significant quantities, the carbohydrates will be used as energy and the fats will be stored as body fat (as long as total calories exceed what the body needs). Liquid fat (oil) are the easiest types of calories for the body to store as body fat.

Your blood sugar will improve. I used to check my blood sugar every day. Eating fat and especially meat has always caused the greatest spike in blood sugar. That’s because a high-fat diet lowers insulin sensitivity. In fact, beef causes more insulin production than white sugar.

Why No Oil?

Here are some more reasons to avoid oil:

1) Oil is a refined product and the most concentrated source of calories available anywhere. One tablespoon of oil contains 120 calories of pure fat with almost no other nutrients. Refined sugar is only 50 calories per tablespoon.

A few splashes of olive oil here and there can quickly add up to hundreds of extra calories that you don’t need. Worst of all, those calories are missing all the fiber and essential nutrients and are empty.

Multiple studies have found that adding fat to food makes people over-consume calories without realizing it because fat has a very low satiety factor compared to carbohydrates or proteins. Many of these fascinating findings are described in the book “Salt, Sugar, Fat.”

Remember: it takes 24 olives to make 1 TBS of olive oil. I don’t know about you, but I’ve never once added 24 olives to a single serving of salad.

2) Vegetable oils contribute to inflammation. Omega 6 fats contribute to inflammation in the body while omega-3 fats reduce it. But most vegetable oils have a ratio that dramatically favor omega-6 fats. We should seek to a dietary ratio of no more than four times the omega 6s vs. 3. Olive oil contains over ten times the omega-6 as omega-3, and many other oils are worst.

3) Olive oil doesn’t lower LDL cholesterol, in fact, it increases it. It’s a myth to think that olive oil is “heart healthy.” Studies have only shown that it lowers LDL cholesterol when it replaces animal fats like butter. But to add olive oil (and other vegetable oils) to an otherwise healthy diet increases LDL levels. If you want to raise your LDL levels even faster, then eat some coconut oil. As Dr. Williams recently pointed out in an article published on Renegade Health, vegans tend to eat too much coconut oil, and it does raise their LDL levels. There’s a lot of hype around coconut oil, but in my opinion it’s just another good way to get to a heart attack faster. (For the lowdown on coconut oil, watch this video by Dr. Greger.) Note: whole coconuts are healthy. You can eat them.

4) Olive oil injures the inner lining of the arteries (called endothelium). A study conducted by Dr. Robert Vogel and published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology showed that a meal containing olive oil caused severe constrictions in arteries, contributing to heart disease. Consuming olive oil reduced blood flow by 31% in this study. It’s worth noting that canola oil or salmon didn’t cause this problem (however, all vegetable oils are unhealthy to some degree).

What studies found was that the protective components of the Mediterranean diet appear to be fruits and vegetables and nuts, and NOT the olive oil. Greek people only got away with eating olive oil because they consumed a lot of fruits and vegetables. They also replaced animal fats like butter with olive oil. But olive oil in itself isn’t healthy. (Note: Greece currently has the highest obesity levels in Europe and has the highest per-capita consumption of olive oil).

5) Oils release toxic compounds when heated. Many oils become carcinogenic when heated. And yes, every type of oil can withstand a different level of heat. But don’t believe for a second that nothing is happening to your oil when you start heating it. Udo Erasmus, one of the world’s most well-known experts on fats, always recommended to never heat any fat. He said: “If health is what we want, water is the only oil appropriate for frying. We’re back to steaming, poaching, boiling, or pressure cooking our foods. Or, even better in most cases, eating them raw.”

What about essential fats?

It’s true, we need some fats for good health. But all whole foods contain them to a certain degree, and in the perfect omega 3/6 ratio.

What’s my favorite source of essential fats? Green vegetables. Although the percentage is low, it contains omega 3s in the perfect ratio.

Additional fats should come from whole foods such as nuts, seeds, avocados, etc. Those foods contain fiber, vitamins, minerals, protein, and so many other critical nutrients that are missing from liquid fat calories.

I only take two tablespoons of ground flax seeds every day. I have tested my Omega-3 levels using a blood test, and I’m getting optimal results. My theory is that removing oil in the diet improves the omega-3 ratio because there’s no omega-6 to compete with the omega 3s. The body can fully convert the small amount of fatty acids naturally found in every whole food, including vegetables. Including flax seeds and walnuts or hemp is a good idea.

How to Transition to an Oil-Free Diet

Now, does that mean you can never have a splash of olive oil? If you’re very active and burn a lot of calories, a bit of olive oil probably won’t hurt you. But it’s better to go without it. Try giving it up and you’ll notice that your taste for oil will disappear. If you crave something fatty, have whole nuts and seeds instead, or even some nut butter. Eat some avocado. And whole coconuts contain ALL of the benefits of the coconut. Coconut oil is just pure fat. What could be tastier than a fresh, young coconut?

When I make a batch of hummus, I only use some tahini, but I don’t add any oil. The traditional recipe for hummus doesn’t contain any oil. I stopped purchasing the tahini brands that contain oil (most of them).

When I eat a salad, I usually eat it plain or with a simple seasoning of balsamic vinegar and maybe nutritional yeast. But I don’t add olive oil to it. I might add some diced avocado.

When I make rice and beans, or marinara sauce, I don’t stir-fry the onion and garlic in olive oil. I dry-sautee the onions and garlic until a little brown and then deglaze it with vegetable broth. No oil.

My taste buds have adapted to this oil-free diet. I now enjoy my food more without oil. It takes about 60-90 days for a person used to a diet of 30+% fat to adjust to lower-fat diet. Then when the transition is over, you will start to dislike oil and enjoy the taste of real, unrefined foods without added liquid fat.
—————————————-
The program ”One Year of Raw Foods” features complete menu planners for every day of the year, and more resources to make this diet work.

This program features exactly what to eat, day by day, based on seasonal ingredients (no mangoes in January!), and a complete shopping list to help with your errands.

Check it out here as it is a great offer with lots of free extras!http://www.1shoppingcart.com/app/?Clk=4900803
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I want to let you know that Frederic’s book, “How to Eat Well for Under $100 a Month on a Plant-Based Diet” with the companion book is available now for $29.95 instead of the usual price of $47.

Other great deals on products offered by Frederic to my readers, are available for a limited time, so don’t delay:

Starter Kithttp://www.1shoppingcart.com/app/?Clk=3923008
Coupon: MINDYGOLDISSTARTER for 25% off
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Healthy Salad Dressings is available for $7 instead of $19.95http://www.1shoppingcart.com/app/?Clk=4847273
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
How to Heal and Prevent Dental Disasters
This program has been created by OraMedia and is the only
course I have discovered that tells you exactly how to avoid
dental problems for the rest of your life.

Normally, the program costs $47.
The price is $30 if you use coupon code: MINDYDENTAL

Take control of your dental health and avoid thousands of
dollars in unnecessary treatments by going to:

So essential for so many of our daily activities and yet somehow so lacking for so many people. I attribute it to a combination of poor digestion/absorption and what I call the beige-food diet, lacking in fresh greens. Today we will discuss why magnesium is so amazing for us, where to get it from whole raw vegan foods and what it sometimes looks like to not have enough of this wonder-mineral.

More than half of the magnesium in our bodies is in our bones, a quarter of it in our soft tissues and fluids and another quarter in our muscles. Magnesium is partly responsible for maintaining cells’ electrical charges and also enables our cells to reproduce. Magnesium is important in energy production and protein forming. Magnesium is responsible for proper muscle function and proper insulin function. Now that’s important! With the ability to alter our metabolism and make our muscles (including our hearts) work properly, magnesium is the second-most prevalent mineral in our bodies after potassium.

A University of Virginia study followed people with adequate levels of magnesium for a fifteen year period and found that they had a 31% lower chance of developing Metabolic Syndrome compared to the rest of the population studied. Insulin resistance also burns up magnesium in the body leading to quite the downward spiral. In a separate double-blind study supplementation with Magnesium was shown to improve markers for metabolic syndrome in individuals that were previously deficient.

Some foods that are highest in magnesium are spinach, kale, collard greens, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, almonds, dried figs and chocolate. The nuts and seeds can be soaked and sprouted to reduce the phytic acid, making the magnesium more absorbable but soaking chocolate doesn’t really work out. I try to remember that chocolate is high in magnesium but much of it is difficult for us to absorb. Of course I love green juice but green smoothies and soups can also be great ways to get some green power. Popeye obviously had the right idea, strong and smart too 🙂 Watch this video http://stephjackson.com/videos/ to learn more about how magnesium boosts the brain.

Magnesium deficiency can appear in the form of blood sugar dysregulation as we discussed above and also in poor memory, fatigue, dizziness, constipation, high blood pressure, anxiety, tremors, cramps, weakness and deficiencies of other minerals such as potassium and calcium. Magnesium can help with sleep and depression. There is a reason why the brand “natural calm” has that name. Magnesium can also be rubbed into the skin “transdermally” or, of course obtained from our favourite green foods.
See this recipe http://stephjackson.com/green-homous/ for a magnesium-rich dip.

The top 7 Superfruits to include in your diet for the best daily health benefits

You may have heard the term “Superfruit” thrown around a lot in the health industry in recent years, but what does it actually mean?

Superfruit is a marketing term that first started being used by food & beverage companies in 2005. This isn’t a FDA or USDA approved term by any means, and the labeling is completely up to the product manufacturer, but that doesn’t mean it still can’t be used appropriately.

How we define a Superfruit is through picking out the best of the best in the fruit family, and discovering which ones provide the most overall health benefits and nutrients to the human body. That, in our mind, is the true essence of a Superfruit and what the term was initially intended for.

Many people have their own idea of what a Superfruit entails, but these are our 7 picks for the best fruits to choose for your diet to give your body a boost in antioxidants, fiber, vitamins, minerals, and other important nutrients for daily health.

Açaí Berries

Açaí Berries have so much hype as a Superfruit because of their high levels of antioxidants that steamroll most of the other fruits on offer at the local supermarket. However, because it’s from Brazil, it’s not always easy to find fresh. A great alternative is finding Açaí powder to put into smoothies and drinks for that extra boost in the morning.

Pomegranates

The fruit that packs some of the highest antioxidants, pomegranates are best fresh during September and February. With around 600 seeds, this fruit has been shown to contain almost more than 3x the amount of total antioxidants in green tea and red wine. This is one of the best Superfruits you could include in your diet.

Cherries

This unsuspecting tart summer fruit has an important antioxidant in them called anthocyanin. This antioxidant helps to reduce inflammation, and triglyceride and cholesterol levels in the body. Cherries have also been known to boost metabolism for that extra health benefit that kicks it into Superfruit power.

Apples

The old adage that has stuck with us since childhood is actually true! “An apple a day keeps the doctor away.” Apples fall into the quercetin family, which is one of the best antioxidants for anti-inflammatory action in the body. On top of this, they’re also a great source of fiber.

Blueberries

The best Superfruit to boost your brain power and memory, blueberries pack in quite the health punch for their small size. The key is the high flavonoid levels in blueberries, which have been linked to sharper brain functioning and cognitive prowess as you age. They’re also high in manganese which is a great tool for better metabolism.

Tomatoes

Although some people may still think of tomatoes as vegetables, they’re actually a fruit! And a very healthy one at that! Tomatoes contain lycopene, which is a rare and powerful antioxidant hardly ever found in other fruits (except papaya, which has it too!). They are also incredibly high in vitamin C, potassium, and fiber. And as an added bonus, they’re very low in calories.

Papayas

You must know already how much we love papaya, and all the health benefits attached to this wonderful fruit. We could not leave it off the list! Papayas are known for antioxidants vitamins A, C, and E, and beta-carotenes. They help to boost immunity for those nasty winter colds and support healthy digestion. The seeds of the papaya even help to detoxify your liver!

This list just skims the surface of some of our favorite Superfruits, but there are quite a few others that could also be included, such as grapes, cranberries, avocados, goji berries, kiwi fruit, grapefruit, cantaloupe, pineapple, bananas, oranges, dragonfruit, blackberries, lychee, raspberries, and even pumpkins!

We enjoy choosing our favorites depending on what’s in season and what specific health benefits we’re after.

In my experience, none of these reasons are the cause of food cravings in most people.

80% of the time, food cravings are caused by:

1) Under-eating complex carbohydrates or fruit
2) Poor planning: you just don’t have enough tasty, healthy meals available at the right time

Let’s take a closer look.

The first reason is often overlooked. You’re not eating enough of the foods your body needs to be satisfied and maintain its energy levels.

Many popular diets tell you to fill up on vegetables — which contain virtually no calories. Plenty of vitamins and minerals, but none of the main thing that your body actually needs the most: glucose.

Other diets tell you to fill up on fat, such as found in nuts and seeds, olive oil, and avocado. But fat is the least satiating type of macronutrient — and every experiment done has proved this. You can sneak in extra calories in the form of oil in the food and people eat the same quantity (but more calories) without feeling more satisfied.

Protein can be satiating because it tends to curb feelings of hunger. But eating high-protein food doesn’t give you what your body actually craves: glucose. So that’s why people still crave sugar after a high-protein, “low-carb” meal, and eventually fall off the wagon to binge on rolls and other refined carbs like desserts!

My mom lost 60+ pounds eating as many of those foods as she cared for, without every counting calories. And thousands of people have done the same.

I hope that I’m not bragging by saying that I never get food cravings for things like chocolate, ice-cream, desserts, decadent food, chips, etc. Why? Because I’m not restricting at all the one category of nutrient that my body needs the most!

Poor Planning

People often tell me: “if I had a personal chef making me tasty, high raw, low-fat vegan recipes at home — then maybe I could do this diet. But I just don’t have the time!”

My fridge is always stocked with a ton of super-healthy meals that I prepare in advance, in a flash. I’m prepared, therefore I don’t have cravings!

If you get bored with your food, you’ll crave something else. If you open the fridge and tasty, healthy food greets you, you’re not going to be looking for something else. It’s that simple!

Another problem is that most raw food recipes are either too complicated, or too unhealthy, often loaded with fats and oils.

You don’t have 100% perfect to make this diet work.

You only have to focus all of your attention on the things that truly matter — what I call the 20% that gives you 80% of the results.

1) Eat enough whole fruit and complex carbohydrates
2) Have a system for food prep that rotates tasty meals that are easy to prepare in advance.

Don’t aim at perfection. Choose a program that works and makes you happy. Focus on just a few changes that will make the biggest difference in your health, rather than trying to change everything.

Maybe your food is not always organic. Maybe you might add some salt and seasonings to your food, instead of eating everything plain. So what? As long as you focus on the 20% that matters, you’ll get 80% of the results, and more!

Our program ”One Year of Raw Foods” features complete menu planners for every day of the year, and more resources to make this diet work.

This program features exactly what to eat, day by day, based on seasonal ingredients (no mangoes in January!), and a complete shopping list to help with your errands.

Check it out here as it is a great offer with lots of free extras!http://www.1shoppingcart.com/app/?Clk=4900803
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I want to let you know that Frederic’s book, “How to Eat Well for Under $100 a Month on a Plant-Based Diet” with the companion book is available now for $29.95 instead of the usual price of $47.

Other great deals on products offered by Frederic to my readers, are available for a limited time, so don’t delay:

Starter Kithttp://www.1shoppingcart.com/app/?Clk=3923008
Coupon: MINDYGOLDISSTARTER for 25% off
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Healthy Salad Dressings is available for $7 instead of $19.95http://www.1shoppingcart.com/app/?Clk=4847273
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
How to Heal and Prevent Dental Disasters
This program has been created by OraMedia and is the only
course I have discovered that tells you exactly how to avoid
dental problems for the rest of your life.

Normally, the program costs $47.
The price is $30 if you use coupon code: MINDYDENTAL

Take control of your dental health and avoid thousands of
dollars in unnecessary treatments by going to:

Coupon: MINDY100
$27 instead of $47
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Other great deals on products offered by Frederic to my readers, are available for a limited time, so don’t delay:

Starter Kithttp://www.1shoppingcart.com/app/?Clk=3923008
Coupon: MINDYGOLDISSTARTER for 25% off
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Healthy Salad Dressings is available for $7 instead of $19.95http://www.1shoppingcart.com/app/?Clk=4847273
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
How to Heal and Prevent Dental Disasters
This program has been created by OraMedia and is the only
course I have discovered that tells you exactly how to avoid
dental problems for the rest of your life.

Normally, the program costs $37.
The price is $20 if you use coupon code: MINDYDENTAL

Take control of your dental health and avoid thousands of
dollars in unnecessary treatments by going to:

Make sure to use coupon code: MINDYDENTAL
**************************************************************************
Article by Frederic continues –

I will say that a 100% raw food diet may be very appropriate and beneficial for many people. For others however, the all-or-nothing approach just doesn’t work the way they want it to.

There are also many different people who believe many different things. And anything you believe is just that: something you believe. That can change.

I personally don’t think there is any life force in food, something touted in raw circles, besides the raw materials necessary for human nutrition. I haven’t found any proof to bring me to another conclusion for myself.

However, you may disagree with me and still think that there is indeed life force in food or any other thing you want to believe. Nobody needs a rational reason to think or believe anything, and that’s okay.

I have certain beliefs that are not completely rational.

For example, I do believe that everything happens for a reason. That kind of belief is based on my personal experience, and it also works for me. But I know it’s not necessarily “rational”, it’s just something I believe.

Top 5 Reasons to Eat Raw

Nutrient Density

Fruits and vegetables are the most-nutrient-dense foods on the planet, and most of these foods are better eaten raw than cooked.

When we say that a food is “nutrient-dense,” we mean that it has many nutrients, such as vitamins and minerals, per calorie. Starchy foods are calorie-dense, but not as nutrient-dense as fruits and vegetables.

In other words, 500 calories of rice or potatoes will contain fewer vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals than 500 calories of kale, or 500 calories of apples.

By eating a diet composed mainly of fruits and vegetables, we take in more nutrients than if we were to eat mostly cooked foods.

There are some exceptions, however. Cooked green vegetables tend to be more nutrient-dense than raw greens, simply because we can eat more of them more easily.

For example, you probably remember taking a huge amount of spinach and cooking it down in a matter of seconds to almost nothing. Well that small cup of cooked spinach is now jam-packed with minerals, and will only take you a few minutes to eat. On the other hand, the same amount of raw spinach would take much longer to chew and eat.

Raw foodists can use the same principle by using a blender and other devices to process their food, such as the case of green smoothies.

Caloric Density

One of the most important concepts to understand in human nutrition is that of caloric density. Caloric density is an estimation of a food’s energy content by weight.

For example, an entire head of lettuce weighing over one pound contains less than 100 calories. That means that the caloric density of lettuce is less than 100 calories per pound.

On the other hand, a single tablespoon of oil contains 120 calories. So you have more calories in 1 tablespoon of oil than in a pound of lettuce. But guess which one is going to fill you up more?

The principle of caloric density is to encourage eating sufficient nutrients while feeling satisfied eating a larger volume of food and a healthy amount of calories.

Studies have confirmed that if you feed people foods of low caloric density, they will eat as much as they want, not be hungry and lose weight, without having to count calories or feel deprived.

Now it’s important to note that nobody will ever really successfully live off a diet of just raw vegetables, and I wouldn’t recommend doing so.

However, you want your diet to contain plenty of raw vegetables by weight.

The concept of caloric density is to look at the overall caloric density of the foods you eat throughout the day.

Low Toxic Load

When cooking carbohydrates (such as potatoes) at high temperatures (baking, frying, etc.), a compound called acrylamide is created. In animal studies, high doses of acrylamide cause cancer and doesn’t sound very promising for your health.

More acrylamide is created when foods are cooked at a higher temperature or for longer periods of time.

We also know that other molecules called “Maillard Molecules” are formed when foods brown and caramelize during cooking. Some people speculate that these new compounds, created in the cooking process, may affect health negatively.

It’s also important to note that the act of being alive and toxic to you, and every bite of food you ever intake will always have varying degrees of “nutriment” and varying degrees of “toxicity”.

While certain forms of cooking appear to be relatively harmless (steaming, for example), the surest way to reduce the amount of toxins in your diet to the lowest level is to eat foods in their raw state.

You Eliminate Everything Else That’s Really Bad for You

One of the main reasons why people get sick is that they eat so many “dead”, pre-packaged foods.

These foods are not only heavily processed, but they contain a long list of suspicious ingredients, including MSG, preservatives, artificial coloring, and more.

Eating a raw food diet automatically eliminates all of this unhealthy food, which means that your diet will be 100% more clean and pure. It will be “wholesome” in the true sense of the word.

When I started the raw food diet, there were no pre-packaged raw snacks available. All that I bought were actual foods: fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds. Eventually I got into olive oil, but that was a pretty simple product. The “worst” thing that raw foodists bought was jars of olives that could possibly have been marinated in salt water.

Nowadays, a variety of raw food snacks — from kale chips to chocolate brownies — are available. Many of the people making these products do remain true to their nature of keeping them free of artificial flavors and preservatives, but processed foods are still processed foods and eaten in moderation.

Phytochemicals

Raw fruits and vegetables, as well as raw nuts and seeds, are absolutely packed with phytochemicals.

“Phyto” means “plant,” so the term phytochemical designates different compounds in foods that protect against illness. Some phytochemicals can prevent DNA damage caused by free radicals.

You’ve probably heard of antioxidants with cancer-preventing benefits found in many fruits and vegetables and dark leafy greens. Antioxidants are a class of phytochemicals.

Some of the most potent phytochemicals are found in raw foods, and many of them are heat-sensitive. Therefore, eating a raw food diet or a mostly raw diet will give you an abundance of phytochemicals — and this could prove to be one of the main benefits of this diet.

Some notable phytochemicals are to be found in:

The Cruciferous Family — including cabbage, kale, broccoli, etc. These vegetables contain a class of phytochemicals (called sulphoraphane and indole-3-carbinol) that are converted into cancer-fighting enzymes by the liver.
Berries — This includes pomegranate, cherries, blueberries, grapes etc. They contain many phytochemicals that increase immunity.
Citrus fruits — Those fruits contain many phytochemicals (close to the skin), in addition to lots of vitamin C, which is an antioxidant.

Pretty much every raw fruit and vegetable contains health-enhancing phytochemicals. Cooking food sometimes enhance the bio-availability of certain phytochemicals, like lycopene in tomatoes, but in general we get more benefits from eating foods in their raw state.

Conclusion

When we use bad arguments to promote a certain philosophy, it often leads us to make mistakes. Sometimes people oversimplify a health philosophy and refuse to look at new information on top of it all.

There are so many great reasons to eat more raw foods in your diet, I feel that being conscious about the reasons we give for them are important to gaining a better understanding of ourselves and our food!

P.S. Don’t forget you can get Frederic’s program, “How to Eat Well for Under $100 a Month on a Plant-Based Diet” now for $27

The Top 5 Reasons To Eat Raw – by Frederic Patenaude
Over the years of being in the raw foods scene, I’ve heard a lot of crazy theories as to “why” people ate a raw food diet and didn’t cook their food.

Some of them really do make sense, like the preservation of nutrients.

Others, like when someone says that they should eat green bananas because of the enzymes present in them, don’t hold as much weight.

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I will say that a 100% raw food diet may be very appropriate and beneficial for many people. For others however, the all-or-nothing approach just doesn’t work the way they want it to.

There are also many different people who believe many different things. And anything you believe is just that: something you believe. That can change.

I personally don’t think there is any life force in food, something touted in raw circles, besides the raw materials necessary for human nutrition. I haven’t found any proof to bring me to another conclusion for myself.

However, you may disagree with me and still think that there is indeed life force in food or any other thing you want to believe. Nobody needs a rational reason to think or believe anything, and that’s okay.

I have certain beliefs that are not completely rational.

For example, I do believe that everything happens for a reason. That kind of belief is based on my personal experience, and it also works for me. But I know it’s not necessarily “rational”, it’s just something I believe.

Top 5 Reasons to Eat Raw

Nutrient Density
Fruits and vegetables are the most-nutrient-dense foods on the planet, and most of these foods are better eaten raw than cooked.

When we say that a food is “nutrient-dense,” we mean that it has many nutrients, such as vitamins and minerals, per calorie. Starchy foods are calorie-dense, but not as nutrient-dense as fruits and vegetables.

In other words, 500 calories of rice or potatoes will contain fewer vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals than 500 calories of kale, or 500 calories of apples.

By eating a diet composed mainly of fruits and vegetables, we take in more nutrients than if we were to eat mostly cooked foods.

There are some exceptions, however. Cooked green vegetables tend to be more nutrient-dense than raw greens, simply because we can eat more of them more easily.

For example, you probably remember taking a huge amount of spinach and cooking it down in a matter of seconds to almost nothing. Well that small cup of cooked spinach is now jam-packed with minerals, and will only take you a few minutes to eat. On the other hand, the same amount of raw spinach would take much longer to chew and eat.

Raw foodists can use the same principle by using a blender and other devices to process their food, such as the case of green smoothies.

Caloric Density

One of the most important concepts to understand in human nutrition is that of caloric density. Caloric density is an estimation of a food’s energy content by weight.

For example, an entire head of lettuce weighing over one pound contains less than 100 calories. That means that the caloric density of lettuce is less than 100 calories per pound.

On the other hand, a single tablespoon of oil contains 120 calories. So you have more calories in 1 tablespoon of oil than in a pound of lettuce. But guess which one is going to fill you up more?

The principle of caloric density is to encourage eating sufficient nutrients while feeling satisfied eating a larger volume of food and a healthy amount of calories.

Studies have confirmed that if you feed people foods of low caloric density, they will eat as much as they want, not be hungry and lose weight, without having to count calories or feel deprived.

Now it’s important to note that nobody will ever really successfully live off a diet of just raw vegetables, and I wouldn’t recommend doing so.

However, you want your diet to contain plenty of raw vegetables by weight.

The concept of caloric density is to look at the overall caloric density of the foods you eat throughout the day.

Low Toxic Load

When cooking carbohydrates (such as potatoes) at high temperatures (baking, frying, etc.), a compound called acrylamide is created. In animal studies, high doses of acrylamide cause cancer and doesn’t sound very promising for your health.

More acrylamide is created when foods are cooked at a higher temperature or for longer periods of time.

We also know that other molecules called “Maillard Molecules” are formed when foods brown and caramelize during cooking. Some people speculate that these new compounds, created in the cooking process, may affect health negatively.

It’s also important to note that the act of being alive and toxic to you, and every bite of food you ever intake will always have varying degrees of “nutriment” and varying degrees of “toxicity”.

While certain forms of cooking appear to be relatively harmless (steaming, for example), the surest way to reduce the amount of toxins in your diet to the lowest level is to eat foods in their raw state.

You Eliminate Everything Else That’s Really Bad for You

One of the main reasons why people get sick is that they eat so many “dead”, pre-packaged foods.

These foods are not only heavily processed, but they contain a long list of suspicious ingredients, including MSG, preservatives, artificial coloring, and more.

Eating a raw food diet automatically eliminates all of this unhealthy food, which means that your diet will be 100% more clean and pure. It will be “wholesome” in the true sense of the word.

When I started the raw food diet, there were no pre-packaged raw snacks available. All that I bought were actual foods: fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds. Eventually I got into olive oil, but that was a pretty simple product. The “worst” thing that raw foodists bought was jars of olives that could possibly have been marinated in salt water.

Nowadays, a variety of raw food snacks — from kale chips to chocolate brownies — are available. Many of the people making these products do remain true to their nature of keeping them free of artificial flavors and preservatives, but processed foods are still processed foods and eaten in moderation.

Phytochemicals

Raw fruits and vegetables, as well as raw nuts and seeds, are absolutely packed with phytochemicals.

“Phyto” means “plant,” so the term phytochemical designates different compounds in foods that protect against illness. Some phytochemicals can prevent DNA damage caused by free radicals.

You’ve probably heard of antioxidants with cancer-preventing benefits found in many fruits and vegetables and dark leafy greens. Antioxidants are a class of phytochemicals.

Some of the most potent phytochemicals are found in raw foods, and many of them are heat-sensitive. Therefore, eating a raw food diet or a mostly raw diet will give you an abundance of phytochemicals — and this could prove to be one of the main benefits of this diet.

Some notable phytochemicals are to be found in:

The Cruciferous Family — including cabbage, kale, broccoli, etc. These vegetables contain a class of phytochemicals (called sulphoraphane and indole-3-carbinol) that are converted into cancer-fighting enzymes by the liver.
Berries — This includes pomegranate, cherries, blueberries, grapes etc. They contain many phytochemicals that increase immunity.
Citrus fruits — Those fruits contain many phytochemicals (close to the skin), in addition to lots of vitamin C, which is an antioxidant.

Pretty much every raw fruit and vegetable contains health-enhancing phytochemicals. Cooking food sometimes enhance the bio-availability of certain phytochemicals, like lycopene in tomatoes, but in general we get more benefits from eating foods in their raw state.

Conclusion

When we use bad arguments to promote a certain philosophy, it often leads us to make mistakes. Sometimes people oversimplify a health philosophy and refuse to look at new information on top of it all.

There are so many great reasons to eat more raw foods in your diet, I feel that being conscious about the reasons we give for them are important to gaining a better understanding of ourselves and our food!

P.S. Don’t forget you can get Frederic’s program, “How to Eat Well for Under $100 a Month on a Plant-Based Diet” now for $17